1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a switching system for trolley rails for supplying electric power without interruption to transport vehicles, in particular railway vehicles driven by a linear motor system and trains using a magnetic levitation system, during traveling.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A transport vehicle such as a linear motor car adopting a magnetic levitation system or the like travels on a track girder fixed on the ground (hereinafter called as stationary track girder) and electric power required for the transport vehicle is supplied by contacting collector shoes of a current collecting apparatus installed in the transport vehicle with trolley rails (also called as third rails) supported on the track girders and connected to a power supply.
A shunt for turning off the transport vehicle from a first stationary track girder to a second stationary track girder is operated such that a track girder movably arranged on the ground (hereinafter called a movable track girder) is applied and the movable track girder is moved from a position aligning with the first stationary track girder to a position aligning with the second stationary track girder so as to perform a shunt operation. Although the movable track girder also has the trolley rail as the same position as the position of the trolley rail fixed on the stationary track girder, there may occur non-continuous portions of a relative large-sized size between the ends of the trolley rails fixed to the stationary track girder and the end of the trolley rails fixed to the movable track girder as compared with the size of each of the collector shoes of the current collecting apparatus contacting with the trolley rails. Upon completion of the turning off of the movable track girder, there may frequently occur a stepping or a difference in level at the sliding surfaces of the trolley rails to which the collector shoes of the current collecting apparatus are contracting at the non-continuous portions. In this case, sliding of the collector shoes of the current collecting apparatus against the trolley rails may not be carried out smoothly causing the collector shoe and the trolley rails to be damaged.